PLAN YOUR TRIP
Frequently Asked
Questions
General
No, unfortunately. Pets of any kind are not permitted at the resort as we are a protected Alpine Environment.
The entry gate is open 8AM–4PM, with all facilities and services available until 3:30PM. We recommend arriving before 11AM to make the most of your day, and allow 10–20 minutes to reach the main carpark from the gate.
During Victorian School Holidays, the resort can reach full capacity, generally on weekends. On these high-demand days, pre-purchase your entry ticket online as no tickets will be sold once the carparks are full, and entry will switch to a 1-in-1-out system with potential wait times of several hours.
For our full open dates and times, visit here.
Marysville is the closest town to Lake Mountain. Located just a short thirty-minute drive from the top of the mountain, this beautiful little town offers a wide array of accommodation, with options suitable for all situations.
If you’re after accommodation in Marysville, give Marysville Visitor Information and Regional Arts a call on (03) 5963 4567.
A good base layer (such as thermals) is key to keeping warm in the snow. If you don’t have thermals, don’t stress! Just make sure to layer up with warm and comfy clothing. The weather conditions are constantly changing up on the mountain, layering your clothes means it’s easy to add or remove clothing as needed. For even more protection, it’s wise to pack a waterproof layer just in case.
For more information about what to wear at the snow, read our article on clothing essentials for your first trip to the snow.
Tip: Avoid dressing kids in gumboots/wellingtons as they do not have any insulation; kids feet will freeze after a short amount of time in the snow.
If you want to hire winter clothes, click here.
This is always a tricky question as every snow season is different from the last; there is no certain way to know weeks or months in advance what the conditions will be like. When planning your visit, make sure you check our Daily Update regularly.
Funnily enough, there is no Lake at Lake Mountain! The mountain was named after the surveyor George Lake. Unfortunate for those planning on bringing their boat!
Getting Here
By car, we suggest allowing between 2 and 2.5 hours when travelling from Melbourne CBD.
Here at Lake Mountain, snow or wheel chains are not required unless it has been declared a “chain day”.
For declared chain days, all 2WD vehicles must carry chains until advised to fit by Lake Mountain staff, with 4WD and AWD vehicles needing to know how to engage that setting when required.
For more information, visit Mountain Safety.
Chains can be hired from any of the Ski Hires (Lake Mountain Ski Hire, Cross Country Ski Hire or Marysville Ski Centre) before you begin the climb to Lake Mountain. The cost is approximately $30- $60 (subject to change) for the day and you will be shown how to fit the chains when hiring them.
For more information, visit Mountain Safety.
Public transport is fairly limited, as Lake Mountain is located past the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
The only public transport option is to catch a train to Lilydale on the Lilydale Line, then catch the McKenzies Bus Service, which runs once or twice daily to Eildon.
You can view the bus timetable here.
Entry & Tickets
Resort Entry and Toboggan tickets can be purchased at resort on the day or pre-purchased online here.
During Victorian School Holidays, the resort can reach full capacity, generally on weekends. On these high-demand days, pre-purchase your entry ticket online as no tickets will be sold once the carparks are full, and entry will switch to a 1-in-1-out system with potential wait times of several hours.
For more information about pricing and packages available for midweek school excursions, click here.
No. From Winter 2025, Alpine Resorts Victoria has moved towards all purchases being made digitally, either online, or on resort via debit or credit card ONLY.
Facilities
During the snow season, our Cafe and Bistro will be open from 8:30AM-3:30PM daily, providing a range of snacks, hot food, coffee & other beverages.
Unfortunately, we do not have access to drinking water on the mountain. However, you can purchase water at our Cafe or Bistro. If you prefer, we recommend that visitors bring their own bottled water. Additionally, there are stores in Marysville where you can buy water before heading up the mountain. We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.
Yes, you can! Our rental department stocks a large range of sizes in both shell and insulated jackets and pants, as well as snow boots to keep your feet nice and dry. All items are $29.
To hire winter clothes in advance, click here.
Due to hygiene regulations, we do not offer gloves, socks, goggles and beanies for hire. We have a range of kids through to adults gloves and beanies for sale in our retail shop, with gloves starting from around $20.
No. There is no on-mountain accommodation available at Lake Mountain, as the facility is for day visitors only in the declared winter season. The closest accommodation is located in Marysville, only 25- 30 minutes away. In winter, the resort gate is locked from 5 pm every night, so visitors have to make their way down the hill to Marysville by 4:30pm.
No. Lake Mountain is a Cross-Country Ski Resort only, so we don’t have chairlifts.
Snowboarding is not allowed at Lake Mountain as there are no dedicated areas for this activity. You can’t use your personal snowboard on the toboggan runs, snow play areas or any other sloped areas.
Tobogganing
Pronounced TO-BOG-GAN, a long light and narrow plastic-moulded sled (a vehicle that slides over snow) sometimes curved up in front, used for sliding down slopes. It’s a lot of fun!
For more information on tobogganing, you can read our tobogganing safety tips article here.
A Lake Mountain compliant rental plastic toboggan will be provided with the Toboggan Access Ticket for use on the toboggan run only. No external toboggans of any kind will be permitted on the toboggan runs at Lake Mountain.
Cross-Country Skiing
Cross-country skiing lessons are not offered for the general public at Lake Mountain.
For information on School Excursions, click here.
As there are no lifts at Lake Mountain, skiing here takes a little more effort as you need to propel yourself up and down the ski trails. Don’t worry though, the trails aren’t steep like regular downhill ski trails. There are over 25 kilometres of trails winding their way through trees covering Lake Mountain.
If it’s your first time, you can read our cross-country skiing tips for beginners here.